Johnny Depp: ‘Family life has changed me’

Johnny Depp credits his children and partner, Vanessa Paradis, with transforming him into a family man and putting an end to his wild ways.

“The Pirates of the Caribbean” star struggled with drug and alcohol demons after becoming famous, but he settled down after meeting Paradis in 1998 and welcoming two children with the singer.

And the actor is pleased he got his bad behavior out of his system in his youth because his children — 10-year-old daughter Lily-Rose and son Jack, 7 — are now his main priority.

He says, “Luckily I went down the (destructive) rabbit hole early on and now the rabbit hole is a different animal altogether, because my main focus is my kids and my family. I’m much calmer than I was years ago and that has a lot to do with raising a family, so my kids have calmed me 100 per cent.”

And Depp also credits his peaceful home life in the South of France with allowing him to escape from Hollywood: “There’s no talk of movies or work and, infinitely more importantly, the phone never rings. We take the kiddies on walks and picnics and it’s the perfect existence. It really is a beautiful, simple life. And it’s been a calming influence just to be able to have that special time with my kids.”